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Got this question sent to me yesterday by a “confused” reader of my newspaper articles suffering with knee pain during exercise… “Hey Jennifer, I’ve been suffering with a pain in my right knee now for a few weeks. What I can’t put my finger on is what I did to make it start in the first place, and even more confusing is that it’s most painful when walking down the stairs, and only comes on 10 minutes into a run. Sometimes it aches, sometimes it feels tender and dull, but I don’t understand why I could run fine before and now I can’t without having to stop after 10 minutes. Can you help?” – Mary, 46, Lacey. There’s a good chance that the same thing is happening to Mary as it does to most people this time of year… And it’s no surprise as we see off the end of Summer and start heading into Fall. This time of year we see more people than ever at Penrose Physical Therapy with painful knees. The reason why? Because it’s around this time of year that people decide to be more active and take things up like running and walking for longer distances, making the most of the nice weather and generally being more active. And even if they’re used to running, people tend to step it up and run a little longer than usual to get ready for upcoming races, sometimes adding in extra running days going… Read More

A few days ago, I was on the phone to one of our regular patient, Lisa, she’s 56 from Lacey and she said… “I was making the most of the Labor Day weekend by visitng Capitol State Forest. I was fine when I got home, but then in the morning when I woke up, my knees had a dull aching pain. At first I thought ‘it’s just an aching knee, I’ve probably overdone it, it’s happened before’… but the pain got worse as the day went on, and it’s still bothering me. My knees ache when I walk, and I’m finding it hard to go up and down the stairs. Any ideas?” Now, this isn’t an uncommon problem, especially not after holiday weekends! And when you consider that 77% of people are more active during holiday weekends, that’s a lot for knees that could potentially become sore. The thing is, many people will put up with bad knees for days, weeks, even months, hoping that the pain will go away on it’s own. But the problem with that is that 9 times out of 10, the pain gets worse and hangs around – which pains me when I know you really don’t have to suffer. So, how about I give you three tips to help you make knee pain much less of a frustration in your life? And even if you don’t go out walking often and suffer from knee pain – these… Read More

So far in this series on knee pain, we’ve covered a lot of different topics. We’ve looked at the 3 things you could be doing that make knee pain worse. This included wearing the wrong shoes, sitting with your legs bent and taking it too easy. We then looked at the 3 ‘quick fixes’ people think will help knee pain, but don’t. (Painkillers, resting and wearing a support). Next it was looking at whether knee replacement surgery could be avoided, and how. And most recently, we looked at how to stop arthritis before it stops you. That’s a lot to cover in just 4 weeks, but we’ve still got more to cover. Knee pain is something that a lot of people struggle with at any time of year, but especially when in the warmer months. People tend to be more active, which leads me to this week’s article… This question was sent to me yesterday by a reader suffering with knee pain: “Jennifer, I’ve been suffering with on-off type knee pain now for more than a year. What I can’t put my finger on is when it started or why. What’s more confusing is that my pain gets worse as the day goes on. But whenever I wake up, the pain is gone – or is considerably less. Yet by the end of another day, my knee aches, sometimes it feels hot and swollen. I’m often in considerable pain – especially if I’ve been out for a… Read More

Many people just like you are becoming victims of knee pain. This is FAST becoming one of the most common things we see at Penrose Physical Therapy, and one of the areas that we treat the most too. But before I tell you why, have a look and see if this sounds familiar to you? There’s a familiar pattern that emerges with knee pain (before arthritis sets in). It starts with a few clicks of the knees, just here and there. But nothing painful, and you think nothing of it. Then as the years go on, some of those clicks become painful, and they start to ache a little bit more, commonly under the knee cap and inside of the knee. Walking around the stores for a few hours and they begin to feel sore. And getting back up again after sitting down watching your favorite TV show, you notice it takes a few steps for them to ‘get going’… And they become even WORSE in the cold weather. Does that sound familiar? I thought it might. So why does this happen, and why so more now than ever before? Well, let me share this with you; so many people are becoming victims of bad footwear trends. “Bad” Shoes? Plimsolls and pump-style shoes are the top of that criminals list that I come across almost on a daily basis, but there are many more besides them, more commonly work now than before. They have zero support for your feet. Read More

Most people think that when they get knee pain, it’ll eventually “ease off” and go away on its own. That they’ll wake up one morning and like “magic”, knee pain will be a thing of the past… But then 6 months later you’re still living with the discomfort of knee pain. Often times its even worse than it was when it came on. It leaves some thinking their only option left is surgery. Does that sound like you? Another scenario we see all the time at Penrose Physical Therapy is when people go to their doctor. The well meaning doctor tells them to “rest”, “try these painkillers” and “come back in 6 weeks if it’s no better”… But then, 6 weeks later, they end up going back to the same doctor again because it hasn’t gotten any better. Only then to be given ANOTHER prescription of even stronger pills or maybe a knee support. Even worse, maybe told that the ONLY thing left, is to go down the route of knee replacement surgery. I hear worrying stories each week from people who have had knee surgery – to find out knee pain comes back. Knee pain after knee replacement surgery is a tricky topic. Most medical professionals will tell you that knee replacement surgery is the “solution” for chronic arthritis and painful knees. But the reality is, once the procedure is done it doesn’t guarantee you won’t have pain after knee replacement surgery. Which worries me! Especially when we’ve… Read More

A patient came into the clinic a few weeks ago limping with knee pain and asked: “I’ve had this knee pain for a few weeks now. I’m not sure what I’ve done to it but I’ve tried taking painkillers and that didn’t help. I was trying to rest it so that it wouldn’t hurt. But whenever I stood up and started moving, it hurt again. Now I’m wearing a brace to see if that helps, but I can still feel the pain when I take it off. Is there anything else I can do to get rid of the pain?” Everyone always thinks and hopes that there will be “quick fixes” to their problem. I know how frustrating it can be when you’re not sure what you’ve done to hurt your knee. It can be even more frustrating when everything you’re trying to get rid of the pain – doesn’t do a thing. Because we see people confused and even skeptical about what can be done to help, I wanted to address this idea of “quick fixes”. Either for your knees – or for any joint problem and tell you why they’re no good. With that said, here’s the 3 most common “quick fixes” that people THINK ease their knee pain, but that actually do the opposite: 1. Reaching For The Painkillers. Let’s face it, when you’re in pace, one of the easiest things to do is reach for the painkillers to “kill” the pain, quick. It’s also… Read More

Have you ever experienced knee pain? The kind that slows you down in life. It bothers you to walk up and down the stairs or hurts every time you bend down. It aches when you sit, and just generally leaves you feeling frustrated and wondering when it’s finally going to wear off… If that sounds like you, you’re not alone. Painful knees are one of the most common things we see people living with at Penrose Physical Therapy. And a lot of people get frustrated because they don’t understand WHY it’s happening to them. Some people think knee pain is just a part of ‘getting old’, because a friend or close family member told them it happens to everyone. Some people think knee pain is one of those things that comes and goes, hoping it’ll magically disappear one day when they wake up… (but it ends up staying longer, and sometimes gets worse). The sudden onset of knee pain can be confusing. Sometimes it happens because of a nasty fall or a movement you did that set it off. But more often than not, we see people suffering with knee pain because of everyday habits we do without even realizing. Maybe these habits are making your knee pain worse too? Here’s 3 of the most common bad habits we see people doing… 1. Wearing The Wrong Shoes. It’s sad but true, your favorite pair of heels, or smart… Read More

If you or a loved one suffer from chronic back pain then attending this Workshop may be the most important thing you do this year. It may unlock mystery of your back pain. It can show you a way to get back to the life you deserve… A life where you can sleep at night without tossing and turning. Hoping to find one position where the pain stops. One where you can wake up in the morning and not take 20 minutes to get out of bed. Followed by another 20 minutes to put on your socks and shoes. A life where you can pick up and play with your kids or grandkids without worrying when your back is going to “go out” and leave you crippled on the floor. A life where you can do and enjoy all the things you see so many enjoying. Things you want to do but your bad back has kept you sidelined. …Basically, a life without the curse of back pain. If You Feel Let Down, Disappointed, And Even Skeptical About What can Be Done To Help You, Then Read On… My name is Jennifer Penrose, Lacey’s leading back pain specialist. I have been helping people live with much less back pain for more than a decade now. And what we know now is that so many people are confused by the advice they’ve previously been given. They’re unsure about why it didn’t work out. Perhaps even skeptical about their… Read More

Revealed: How, For Over 12 Years, More Than 80 People Per Week In The Lacey Area Have Ended Their Crippling Back Pain WITHOUT Needing Referral From A Doctor (Or Paying For Chiropractic)… Do you or a loved one suffer from chronic back pain – so bad that it can even stop you from walking? Then reading this report may be the most important thing you do this year. It may unlock the agonizing mystery of your pain. It may even show you a way to get back to the life you deserve… A life where you can sleep at night without tossing and turning, hoping to find one position where the pain stops. One where you can wake up in the morning and not take 20 minutes to get out of bed. Then another 20 minutes to put on your socks and shoes, always restricted by a back so stiff and tight. A life where you can pick up and play with your kids without worrying when your back is going to “go out” and leave you crippled on the floor. And a life where you can do and enjoy all the things you see so many others doing and enjoying but your pain has kept you watching from the side-lines. …Basically a life without the curse of back pain. Finally, one of the nation’s leading back pain experts, Jennifer Penrose, has written a tips report. She’s a specialist from Lacy who has already helped 100’s of people over the last decade with… Read More

A lady emailed the clinic a few days ago and asked: “I get back pain when I’m doing sit-ups/ crunches. Am I doing something wrong, or should I avoid them?” Great question! I’m glad she asked me this this time of year. People begin to get more active for summer vacations so we see a big rise in the number of people with back pain. Crunches are one of the most common go-to exercises to get your “abs summer ready”. But are they effective? And more importantly, can this exercise cause back pain? Ever tried to do an ab workout and realized halfway that your back is feeling things it shouldn’t? You’re not alone. For me (and most of our patients) it’s any ab exercise that asks me to sit up on my tailbone. Or move my legs that causes a slight twinge in my back. Which is frustrating when you want to keep active but can’t because your back is in pain! To understand why this happens, you have to remember the abs and lower back are part of your core. While we often think of our core as being our abs – the abs are only one part of the equation. Your core is made up of a group of muscles that work together to support the body. It wraps around the entire body, and includes muscles that are in your lower back too. What’s actually happening When you do any exercises for the core, you’re impacting… Read More

I wanted to answer a common question I get asked all the time at Penrose Physical Therapy all about stiffness: “Jennifer, do you have any advice for someone like me who isn’t in a lot of pain? I’m just incredibly stiff when I wake up on a morning, and I feel it throughout the day, which means I can’t do things as easily as I’d like. Any advice?” I’ve got plenty of tips and advice to help reduce stiffness. But first I want to clear up ‘why’ we feel stiff in the first place. A lot of people we see think that stiffness is something we feel are we get older – and while there’s some truth in that, stiffness isn’t always directly related to how old you are. Yes, as you get older your joints and muscles might get stiff if you don’t exercise regularly. And it’s true that your joints become less flexible as the lubricating fluid inside them decreases, and the cartilage becomes thinner as you age… But there’s some other points to factor in too. Where to start Not drinking enough fluids and dehydration can also lead to stiff muscles. Muscles are active tissues, which means they’re the kind of tissue that requires the most water in the body. Inactivity is another culprit – leaving your muscles in one place for a prolonged period (sleep, sitting in a chair, driving for hours etc.) can cause them to stiffen. Another cause can be related to stress – when we’re… Read More

A question I get asked a lot by clients and people who suffer with back pain is a really simple one: “When do I use ice and when do I use heat?” Rightly or wrongly, 9 out of 10 of my clients tend to favor heat – a nice hot water bottle, a soak in the bath, or one of those lavender scented wheat bags to try and ease their back pain. (I think a lot of people don’t like the idea of putting cold ice on their back, unless it’s really hot outside!) As you can appreciate every health concern and injury is different. Sometimes it’s ice to cool it down, or heat to help relax it…it can be very confusing! When To Use Ice There’s one time in particular we say to use ice and that’s when something just happened and it’s very painful, likely hot and maybe swollen. This is an ‘acute’ injury. Acute meaning it just happened. For example, an ankle sprain or pulled muscle. When it comes to your back pain, the time to use ice is if your back has suddenly ‘gone’ and you’re in a lot of pain, or you’ve overdone it and your back becomes very painful towards the end of the day. You see, your body is actually very clever. Let’s use an ankle sprain as an example… When you sprain your ankle your body will immediately try and protect itself. This is why you get swelling and it becomes very… Read More